, 1887-10-09
Opinions on Gould's Gobble.

"a NOoA1
NEW YORK. Oct. S.-The following
will appear as a leading editorial article in
to-morrow's Sun.
The Times this morning intimated
that the Western Union will not get the
Baltimore & 0hio's system because Gar
rett will oppose the transfer. Mr.. Garrett
is powerless in the matter. if for no other
reason than that Mr.. Gould has no com
petitor for the property and inasmuch as
the sale is compulsory and he is the only
purchaser. 1t must go to him. Mr..
Gould, until a few days since, had a com
association of business men who were
willing to give a higher price than Gould
has paid. But the sharp practice which
has suddenly taken the property off the
market has made it impossible to proceed
further in the matter, even if a legal and
practicable opportunity were still availa-
bic, which is doubtful. The establish
ment of the Western Union in undisputea
monopoly of so great and vital a
public service rs the telegraph will
not be viewed with either content or resig
nation by the public. The distrust
of Gould and his associates, and the sus
picion that attaches to their methods and
practices are too profound and too well
rooted in the public mind to admit of
such men being accepted as trustees Of
this great public service. We should
not be prepared to entrust Mr.. Gould
and his colleagues with the administration
of the postal system Of our country. 1t
would imply in the public estimation a
grave calamity, and yet his administration
OF the telegraph is likely to be much
more %preiudiclal to public and private in
terests than his administration of the
postal system could possibly be.
1T is a long lane that has no turning,
but it may as well be understood now as
later that the government of the United
States shall not acquire the telegraphs of
the country, and that no Vaccinations of
MIR. Gould, and no oppression of indi
viduals, public or private, will ever black
mail and coerce the people of this country
into conserving that the Western Union
shall be unlOaded upon the government,
and there will be other and independent
telegraphs, too"
Chicago, Oct. S.-The Journal this
evening says editorially:
THE apparent fact that the sale of the
Baltimore 4 Ohio telegraph to Jay Gould
has been consummated is calculated to
excite the gravest apprehension in regard
to the money power that one man may
have who possesses the telegraphs of the
country, convey intelligence regarding
every transaction of business, every act of
the government, every movement in poll
tics, and every important personal and
domestic matter. With a Geographic
keyboard in Jay Gould's back office, he
will have his finger on every pulsation of
trade, of finance, of politics, of official
action and of domestic life. He who
shall own the telegraphs of the country
can advance or depress prices by which
thousands or millions may be ruined in an
hour. He may control the government
itself. His evil or u~nclean pressure may
be felt in every home. Possibly one man
might not abuse the stupendous grasp on
the vltals of the country, but other men
would, and it is too great a danger to
foresee with complacency.
1T is evident that if competition and
all its results are to be excluded from pri-
vate administration of such a great public
service as the telegraph, the government
must intervene for protection of the PEG
Pile, but the United States should not buy
the existing lines. Telegraph lines should
be established at every point reached by
the Western Union, over railway and post
road, for a one tenth part of the nominal
value of Gould's combination. A tele-
graph Office could be placed in every i'm
portant post Office and at every railway
station in the country for a sum Of money
that would not sensiblY reduce the sur.
plus in the United States treasury. The
work should be undertaken at once unless
the monopoly removes and keeps its
greedy and oppressive hands off from ex-
isting lines.